New restaurant coming to Fairview Heights. Updates on six other southwest IL businesses
My first business news item this week took me back to my hometown of New Baden. I haven’t lived there for nearly 20 years and don’t go back very often, but it’s always nice to see how much the place continues to grow. My stop was Clinton Manor Living Center, which is in the process of building an administration addition.
The addition will serve as the new main entrance to the nursing home facility. The space will house administrative offices and include a lobby to welcome visitors, according to an April 30 press release. The release stated that there would be a secure entrance from the lobby into the facility’s existing living areas.
During my brief visit, I spoke with Samantha Lappe, marketing and public relations manager for Clinton Manor, who said that the new lobby and offices will be separate from the residents’ living spaces, providing them with more privacy and security.
The newest addition is being built by D.C.A. Construction Inc. in Breese and is expected to be completed this summer.
The construction in progress is not the first renovation made to the 52-year-old facility. My childhood memories include the image of a much smaller, white building set farther back from the street. The release listed some of the improvements made since then:
1990: An addition was built to increase services to 50 people with developmental disabilities and 30 senior citizens.
2000: The 30 beds for senior citizens were converted to provide care to those requiring more skilled care.
2004: A separate building was added to house laundry and maintenance departments.
2018: An addition was built to connect the main building to the laundry room, along with three additional bedrooms, a large shower/bathing area, storage and a laundry/linen area.
Clinton Manor has gained recognition for the level of care they provide. The facility’s most recent acknowledgment came in December when they were recognized as a Best Nursing Home for 2020-21 by U.S. News & World Report.
Clinton Manor is located at 111 E. Illinois St. in New Baden. For more information, visit clintonmanorlivingcenter.com or call 618-588-2924.
Business as usual for popular custard shop
Bobby’s Frozen Custard in Maryville has a new owner. Former owners Bobby and Debbie Kozyak announced their retirement in a May 5 Facebook post. The post stated that the popular shop was sold to Andy’s Frozen Custard, which was the original inspiration for Bobby’s Frozen Custard.
Bobby Kozyak wrote about how he and his wife, Debbie Kozyak, “started thinking about a custard stand 32 years ago” and had heard about Andy’s in Springfield, Missouri. They visited Andy’s custard stand and “fell in love with the look of their building and overall operation.” The Kozyaks purchased the blueprints from Andy’s and built their own similar operation.
When the Kozyaks started thinking about retirement, they contacted Andy’s.
Bobby Kozyak added that all of the current employees were offered jobs. Moving forward, business at Bobby’s Frozen Custard will continue to operate as it did prior to the sale. In addition, live performances have been scheduled for the summer, and patrons can expect to see Bobby Kozyak in the crowd.
Bobby’s Frozen Custard is located at 2525 N. Center St. in Maryville. Hours are 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. For information, call 618-345-3002 or visit bobbysfrozencustard.com.
New seafood restaurant coming
Jack Crab, located at 51 Ludwig Drive in Fairview Heights, closed at the end of March and has been taken over by Crafty Crab.
The Jack Crab Facebook page, already renamed for Crafty Crab IL, shows a March 30 post from Jack Crab thanking customers for support over the past two years and stating that Jack Crab would close March 31. The post went on to announce that Crafty Crab would take over and that any outstanding gift cards for Jack Crab would be honored by the new Crafty Crab location.
Paul Ellis, director of economic development for Fairview Heights, said about the new location: “We’re particularly pleased to welcome this new addition to the Ludwig Drive restaurant row in the area we hope to see redevelop as an ‘eatertainment’ district over the next few years.”
Signage at the restaurant has already been updated to reflect the new eatery. An opening date has not been announced, but an April 17 Facebook post says it’s coming soon.
Crafty Crab will be the third seafood restaurant at this location. Joe’s Crab Shack operated from 1997 until its sudden closing in August 2017. Jack Crab opened in early 2019, several months later than planned due to naming issues with the restaurant.
Crafty Crab has locations in multiple states, many across the southeast. For more information about Crafty Crab, visit craftycrabrestaurant.com or the Facebook page.
Schlafly Beer to open new brewpub
Schlafly Beer will open its first Illinois brewpub through a partnership with the City of Highland. The new brewpub will be the fourth for the St. Louis-based brewery and is expected to open this fall. A name for the Highland brewpub has not been announced.
“Our team knew that it was imperative to find a longstanding partner to become an integral piece of the community for years to come,” said Breann Speraneo, director of community development for the City of Highland. “With Schlafly’s respected reputation in the brewing industry and positive guest experiences across the St. Louis metro area, we found a perfect fit.”
Schlafly has “transformed buildings into popular destinations across St. Louis,” according to the May 4 announcement. Both the Tap Room and Bankside took up residence in existing buildings that were renovated. The Highland brewpub will also open in an existing building.
A 71-year-old building at 907 Main St. in the center of Highland will be renovated to accommodate a brewery, restaurant and a new kitchen. Plans also include a retail area that will offer Schlafly gear, growlers, special releases and more.
Bringing new life into a building at the center of town is an important project to the Schlafly family, which has historical ties to Highland.
“Our family’s American dream began in Highland, Illinois,” Schlafly Co-Founder Tom Schlafly said. “After immigrating from Switzerland, the Schlaflys landed in New Orleans in May of 1854, and made their way up the Mississippi and settled in the town now known as Highland, Illinois. Now, 167 years later, David and I are excited to give back to the same community where our ancestors set roots so many years ago.”
Speraneo stated: “We’re very excited to welcome Schlafly to Highland. We’re a vibrant community with many downtown festivals, and we look forward to Schlafly hosting their own festivals in town. We know that Schlafly will fit in perfectly with our motto of ‘Celebrate Today.’”
Schlafly will hire 50-60 local employees for the Highland brewpub and will start accepting applications this summer.
Schlafly Beer operates three locations in the St. Louis area: Schlafly Tap Room, 2100 Locust St., Schlafly Bottleworks, 7260 Southwest Ave., and Schlafly Bankside, 920 S. Main St., St. Charles, Missouri. The new Schlafly brewpub will be located at 907 Main St., Highland. For information about Schlafly Beer, visit schlafly.com.
Other local items of interest
▪ The Breese Inn, Bed & Breakfast held a ribbon cutting ceremony and open house Friday, April 30, to celebrate its opening. The Queen Anne Victorian, owned by John and Christine Foppe, features four guest rooms and the addition of a new kitchen, innkeeper’s quarters and parking.
Posts on the inn’s Facebook page include video and images documenting the construction for the addition and featuring rooms in the original house.
The Breese Inn is located at 670 N. 8th St., Breese. The inn is open for business and accepting reservations. For information or reservations, call 314-313-6438 or visit breeseinn.com.
▪ Strawberry season is officially open at Eckert’s Farm in Belleville. Guests can make reservations online to visit the strawberry fields and pick the fresh berries 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. The cost is $5 per person; children under 2 years old are free.
The farm’s Strawberry Festival will run every Saturday and Sunday during the month of May. The family-friendly weekends include live music, festival foods, kids pony rides, petting zoo and play area.
Eckert’s is located at 951 S. Green Mount Road in Belleville. For more information, call 618-233-0513 or visit eckerts.com.
▪ Toastiez restaurant is coming to Greenville’s SMART Center with a soft opening on Monday, May 10. The new concept restaurant is described as a “brie-utiful recipe” of cheese combined with hands-on experience for Greenville University students, according to a May 3 release.
The menu includes grilled cheese and gourmet sandwiches, poutine, soups and salads. Ingredients come from local businesses including Marcoot Jersey Creamery, The Milk House and Wayne’s Market.
Toastiez is located at the SMART Center, 102 N. 2nd in Greenville. Starting May 10, hours are 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. for lunch and 4-6 p.m. for dinner Monday-Saturday. Plans are to extend hours after a mid-June grand opening. For more information, visit greenville.edu.
This story was originally published May 9, 2021 at 5:00 AM with the headline "New restaurant coming to Fairview Heights. Updates on six other southwest IL businesses."
